US set to expand family reunification program to additional nationalities - sources

The United States is set to expand a family reunification parole program currently available to Cubans and Haitians to additional nationalities, three sources told Reuters, as part of a suite of measures aimed at curbing record border crossings.

The United States is set to expand a family reunification parole program currently available to Cubans and Haitians to additional nationalities, three sources told Reuters, as part of a suite of measures aimed at curbing record border crossings. Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras have been discussed as part of the expansion, said one of the sources, all of whom requested anonymity to discuss internal government planning.

President Joe Biden's administration is set to announce new measures on Thursday to address a possible increase in illegal immigration when COVID-19 border restrictions in place since 2020 are expected to end on May 11. Biden, a Democrat seeking reelection in 2024, has struggled politically with record numbers of migrants caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

Republicans say Biden should have retained restrictive policies put in place by former President Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination. Reuters reported on Wednesday that an increase of refugee processing for people in Latin America and the Caribbean was expected to be part of Biden's latest effort.

The existing family reunification parole programs open to Cubans and Haitians allow U.S. citizens or permanent residents to apply to bring family members with approved immigrant visas to the U.S. while they wait to have a residency visa issued. The family reunification program is distinct from a program that Biden

launched in January that allows up to 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela with U.S. sponsors to enter the country by air.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)